Typically, label holders for merchandising displays are extensively used in e.g. supermarkets, department stores, warehouses and similar places where different kinds of goods are displayed or stored. Merchandising displays include generally a support surface for permitting label holders to be secured thereto. Known label holder support surfaces include a C-channel, a wire bar or rod, a planar surface for receiving an adhesively-backed label holder, etc. Label holders typically include a mounting portion for engaging with the label holder support mechanism, and a display portion for supporting a merchandising label. A merchandising label may then be placed into, repositioned, modified, or removed from the label pocket.
Label holders are also displayed in moist and humid environments like in produce sections for fruits and vegetables, in meat departments, or floral sections are constantly exposed to water spray from all directions, to body fluids in case of meats or to washdowns, while frozen foods are exposed to condensation. These harsh conditions damage labels and tickets that often tear during replacement or cause ink to run off which in turn requires more replacement caused by above conditions. Additionally, saturation and bleeding affect visual appearances of labels. Therefore, there is a need for a label holder or in a more general term, an information display system that is resistant to fluid infiltration and functional enough so as to be able to receive and display readily labels or tickets in an effective manner, to modify or remove it rapidly, to reposition it and have it sealed again instantly against fluid infiltration, with all the above conditions being met inexpensively.
Faced with all above obstacles, no prior art has disclosed an integrated solution to above challenges. Brewster, of U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,618, discloses an expensively made tamper proof sealed tag requiring alignment pins to align a display window with seals around a frame having mounting holes. Multiple prior art disclose solutions addressing the problem of dust that needs to roll off an upper edge of a label holder but fail to address the problems associated with liquids such as disclosed by Thompson in U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,064. Furthermore, a number of waterproof pockets, envelopes and containers have also been disclosed having sealing means but none disclosed for merchandising purposes. For example, Denko, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,821,018 B1, discloses an expensively made flexible container such as an envelope having a sealable closure, namely for bathers.
A press release posted by Trion Industries Inc. on the internet and dated Jan. 2, 2003 entitled “Label Holder solves problems in wash down areas” describes that the “Model B30 Bottom Load Label Holder eliminates saturation and bleeding of labels caused by washdown solutions entering through open top of top-load label holders. One-piece, sealed-at-the-top design shields labels from water, cleaning fluids, and dirt.”
While the above B30 Model provides a partial solution for small labels that fit into C-channels, it suffers from disadvantages associated with the difficulty of protecting labels from water, fluids or other contaminants when being sprayed from all sides of the label holder and the reliability of such sealing when accomplished.
A range of water resistant, all weather sign holder has been also released by Eye-Catcher Innovations of Hilton, South Australia. The water-resistant cover protects paper signs against outdoor and indoor environments. The Eye-Catcher Sign Holder is a Copyright© 2005 of Eye-Catcher Innovations. It discloses this bulky, expensively manufactured product is made of a front structure that folds sealingly over a back structure for encasing a paper sign. It is provided with a metallic support. This bulky, self-standing, expensive sign holder does not attach to shelving and nor does it apply to inexpensively made sign holders in mass merchandising environments.